A/N: I feel like this chapter is weird, like there's something missing but I can't figure out what. Anyway, here's Chapter 2! ^^

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Sinb clasps her hands together and rubs them, hoping to create enough heat for the freezing temperature she is encountering currently. The thick coat isn’t enough to provide the warm she needs. She rests her body onto the seat and closes her eyes. Many thoughts run through her mind. It still feels so surreal how another winter arrives again without her.

Life is getting harder and everyone is busy. The college friends have since taken on different paths that kept their separation constant. Loneliness won’t leave her alone and she is still struggling to adapt to it. She let out a sigh.

The train starts to move and she is startled by the motion. Looking outside from the window, she frowns as heavy snow fills the streets. She wonders if her journey will go smoothly; she doesn’t want to be late.

It was during the first month of summer when her parents had asked her to check the mailbox and she was surprised to find a letter in it for herself. She was even surprised when the sender is someone she hadn’t expected that they would meet again; someone she has been trying to forget for near to two years.

She doesn’t know how she had gather the courage for this journey – to see her again.

∞

“Dear passengers, due to heavy snow ahead, the train will be proceeding at a slower speed for safety precautions. I hereby apologise for the delays caused.” The announcement doesn’t sound pleasant.

Sinb looks at the time on the watch. She is sure that she isn’t going to make it.

Fishing out her phone from the side pocket, she texts the other girl about the situation so that she won’t be there too early to fetch her. The cabin begins to fill with chatters and displeasure from the commuters, most of them whom are heading home from work with their dinner waiting for them.

It’s the first time she is taking a long journey on the train to somewhere. Although it is only supposed to be a 50 minutes ride, it feels like hours. She watches as people are leaving the train one by one even when they’re not at their destination yet, probably to take a cab home. Now the train is almost empty and she leans her head on her arm against the window. Her heart starts to feel heavy at the scene.

It’s cold outside but it doesn’t make any different being inside.

“Young girl,” she hears a low voice beside her, “where are you going?”

She turns her head and sees an old lady who’s greeting her with a smile. As much as she doesn’t like to talk to strangers, she answers politely, “Ilsan.”

“That’s still a long way to go. Are you going there to see your boyfriend?”

“No, I…” She wants to protest but before she can speak, the old lady turns around and reaches her arm out to the plastic bag beside her. She watches as a milk chocolate bar appears in her hand.

“Take this,” the old lady passes it to her.

Sinb fumbles her pocket for her wallet but the action is immediately halted by the old lady.

“It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Have a good day!” A smile is plastered on her face as she watches the old leaves and heads for other passengers. Sometimes, such an unexpected action can actually warm her up, no matter how cold she is.

∞

Tapping her card out of the gantry, she rushes towards the nearest exit. Already late, she looks around outside the station but the person she is looking for is not in sight. Picking her phone up, she dials a certain number.

“Yuju,” she calls out when the receiver picks up. “I’ve reached.”

“Look behind you.”

Sinb put down her phone and turns around until her gaze is fell upon the same girl who has taken her heart in high school. The same long raven hair drapes across her shoulder and the thick coat hugs loosely around her body. She is still the same; it’s just that she looks more mature now. Her attention is then distracted by the familiar scarf on her neck. She’s wearing it.

She is beautiful as always.

Seconds pass and she realises that she has been staring at the girl all these while as if time has been frozen. She shies her eyes away and walks towards her slowly. Still overwhelmed with emotions, she tries to say something only to stop when nothing comes up in her mind.

“Hi,” both of them laugh when they greet at the same time.

They look at each other and hesitate to start a topic. The atmosphere suddenly becomes almost awkward. Sinb keeps her gaze down on the floor as she tenses upon the coldness that reaches to the exposed skin. The other watches in amusement at the same girl she had known her to be – shy and adorable.

“Long time no see,” Yuju speaks first.

The other girl smiles at the sentence and nods before returning the exact same response.

“Have you eaten dinner yet?”

Yuju smiles delightfully when she sees Sinb shaking her head, looking so much like a lost child. She hasn’t realised all these while that the former was holding onto something until she lifts it up and presents it to her, “I made this myself; hope you won’t mind it.”

Her ears perk up at the revelation and immediately reaches out for it carefully while in anticipation. Unwrapping the exterior cloth, a transparent lunch box filled with plentiful of Kimbap greets her. She knows upon the first sight that it will be the most delicious food she will be having all her life.

∞

The snow keeps falling and gradually piles up to thick blanket that’s covering the streets and roads. The two girls sit down on the wooden bench, under the cover that is sheltering them from the falling snow.

“Is it nice?”

Sinb has full and stops chewing the food to look up at the girl while nodding eagerly. For the first time, Kimbap tastes like heaven to her. She isn’t sure if it’s because of the fact that she’s really hungry or that it’s really delicious. She chooses to believe in the latter.

She doesn’t realise that tears has welled up in her eyes until she feels a stream of moisture down her cheeks. She lowers her head in shame in an attempt to not let the other girl sees it. However, she fails.

“Are you okay? Why are you crying?”

“Nothing,” Sinb mumbles and shakes her head as she swallows the food in , along with the tears that slipped into the opening, “I just feel really grateful.”

“For what?” Yuju is definitely worried.

“I don’t know; I just feel this way.”

Sinb starts to wipe her tears in embarrassment while the other girl chuckles at the sight. Then, the sound of the gigantic clock on the building’s wall striking twelve suddenly echoes throughout the area. Regaining her composure, Sinb pulls out the chocolate bar from her pocket and hands it to the other girl.

“What’s this for?” The girl asks with an eyebrow raised.

Sinb looks at her, this time straight into her eyes. However, when she opens to say something, she hesitates. Two years of being apart isn’t enough to build her courage. In the end, she lets her intention goes as she says with a beaming smile, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Tears is still in her eyes as she watches Yuju let out a wide smile with her eyes forming into straight lines. The smile means so much to her and Sinb figures that as long as she is still smiling, nothing will matter.

Autumn is already over but that doesn’t make Yuju any less beautiful.
Winter is already here but that doesn’t make Sinb love her any lesser.

She is just grateful because at least, she is still here.